Since 2022, Baksheiev has made more than 1,000 gynecological exams in women aboard their mobile ambulance
In a rural area near the first Ukrainian line, a group of women looks silently in a line in front of a purple and white ambulance. They expect to be frequented by a doctor with a shaved and shaded yellow head – the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
For many of them, it is the first time that he sees a doctor since the war began for over three years.
Since 2022, Serhii Baksheiev, 53 years old, has performed more than 1,000 gynecological exams in women of all regions of the first line, using their equipped mobile clinic, called “The female ship”, which includes a flashing exam in vibrant pink tone.
“This is a humanitarian voluntary mission. It is for people who need help, where there are no doctors or hospitals. And it is a completely free service,” he said.
The war with Russia exerted enormous pressure on the Ukrainian health system, with over 1,940 attacks on medical structures from the invasion, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The number is the highest recorded in any humanitarian crisis to date, with a significant increase in attacks from December 2023.
When the war began, Baksheiev, who is obstetric and gynecologist, spent his days in a bunker in Kiev, helping to deliver while the bombs fell over the city.
He says that the idea of a mobile clinic emerged after the first -line volunteer medical missions, where he built the total lack of structures, since the medical centers and hospitals had been completely destroyed.
“We went to Kharkiv and Chernihiv, who were very damaged, and the most difficult thing was unable to offer gynecological services because there were no tools or equipment, everything was destroyed.”
Baksheiev and his team had to use anything available as an exam table, even old sofas, which meant that he had to kneel to perform the procedures.
Today, when walking for the electric vehicle, it is clear that the doctor has a huge pride in his structures: the ambulance has everything he and his team may need in these remote areas, including an ultrasound device and medical equipment to perform smaller surgery.
During a two-day mission, the team can perform up to 80 culpy, a procedure in which the cervix and the vulva are examined in search of signs of cancerous or pre-caler tissue.
This work, usually done discreetly, is essential for people who live in rural and remote areas near the front line line.
The data provided by the Ministry of Public Health Ukrainian to the BBC show that the detection rates of ovarian and cervical cancer decreased by 17% and 10% respectively from 2020.
And when doctors like Baksheiev can reach these places to perform tests, they found an incidence above the average of malignant tumors.
On average, up to 4% of all the women examined is diagnosed malignant tumors, according to Frida Ukraine, the medical organization for which Baksheiev works as a volunteer.
Ulana Suprún, who was Ukrainian Minister of Health between 2016 and 2019, warns of the “clockwork bomb” which represents the effects of health as the war is extended.
“In the public health community there is a lot of concern about what will happen as long as the war will continue,” he says.
“Not only in terms of physical health, but also of mental health, because there is constant stress, a constant psychological trauma in progress.”
Suprún stresses that the government was partially or completely reconstructed up to 964 medical structures that were destroyed by Russia.
“They are working together with WHO and other international organizations to make a plan on how to reconstruct the health system that existed before the Russian invasion”.
Although he received a diagnosis of cancer in September 2024, Baksheiev continues to work as a volunteer and attracting medical care to women across the country.
“In addition to the medical examination, also listening to them, because many patients have stories on how the Russians have attacked their villages,” he says.
“So we are not just doctors, we are also therapists of these patients.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
